1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disposals and, more particularly, to disposals for needles and related devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To obtain a blood sample for diagnostic purposes, blood is drawn into an evacuated blood collection tube through a double ended needle. The needle includes a hub, an anterior needle for tissue penetration into a blood vessel and a posterior needle having an exterior elastomeric valve. The posterior end of the needle is penetrably inserted within a barrel having female threads for threadedly engaging the hub to retain the double ended needle positionally fixed with respect to the barrel. The proximal end of the barrel is open to receive an evacuated blood collection tube having a stopper for penetrably receiving the posterior needle. Upon venipuncture, blood will flow through the anterior needle and the posterior needle into the collection tube. Upon removal of the collection tube, the elastomeric valve recovers the posterior needle to prevent spontaneous blood flow from the needle. A phlebotomist can then insert a second or more blood collection tubes into the barrel to receive additional blood samples.
Upon completion of the venipuncture procedure, the anterior needle is withdrawn from the patient. While the barrel is often reused, the double ended needle must be safely removed from the barrel without causing needle stick and while avoiding contact with any residual body fluids of the patient to prevent transmission of infectious disease. Typically, a conventional biohazard receptacle for needles is provided with a lid having various shaped slots to engage the needle hub. To dispose of a used needle, the phlebotomist must carefully place the exposed needle hub into the slot, grip and rotate the barrel to unthread the needle and cause the disengaged needle to drop completely through the slot into the underlying container. Since the barrels are often opaque, it is difficult to know when the double ended needle has become completely threadedly disengaged from the barrel. A further danger arises from the upstanding exposed posterior needle until the hub has become sufficiently disengaged from the slot to permit the needle to drop into the receptacle. Aside from hub engaging slots, other devices have been developed including the use of fixed and moveable jaws to engage the needle hub. Mechanized devices for unthreading a double ended needle are also known.
A recently available reusable safety blood collection device includes a holder for engaging the double ended needle, which holder is translatable within a guard to fully enclose and shield both the anterior and posterior needles of the double ended needle. The guard includes an anterior collar for shielding the end of the anterior needle upon retraction of the holder and for supporting therewithin the hub engaging boss of the holder during use. Known syringe disposal devices are not well suited for receiving and disposing needles of such devices since the hub of the double ended needle is shielded by the collar and is not accessible for gripping by the opposed edges of a slot, jaws or the like.